Polk County
Sports
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • November 8, 2017 12A
SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, NOV. 9
Volleyball: Western Ore-
gon at Alaska Anchorage, 8
p.m.
FRIDAY, NOV. 10
M e n ’s b a s k e t b a l l :
GNAC/PacWest Challenge:
Saint Martin’s vs. Fresno Pa-
cific, 5 p.m. Point Loma vs.
Western Oregon, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOV. 11
Football: OSAA Class 1A
state playoffs, quarterfinals:
No. 6 Falls City at No. 3
Camas Valley (at Roseburg
High School), 1 p.m. Simon
Fraser at Western Oregon, 1
p.m.
M e n ’s b a s k e t b a l l :
GNAC/PacWest Challenge:
Saint Martin’s vs. Point
Loma, 5 p.m. Fresno Pacific
vs. Western Oregon, 7:30
p.m.
Volleyball: Western Ore-
gon at Alaska Fairbanks, 8
p.m.
Women’s basketball:
WOU/Hampton Inn D2
Shootout: Saint Martin’s vs.
California State, San
Bernardino, noon. Dixie
State vs. Western Oregon, 2
p.m.
SUNDAY, NOV. 12
Women’s basketball:
WOU/Hampton Inn D2
Shootout: Saint Martin’s vs.
Dixie State, noon. California
State, San Bernardino vs.
Western Oregon, 2 p.m.
—
Schedules Subject to Change
QUICK HITS
Highburger
named Player of
the Week
MONMOUTH — Western
Oregon University line-
backer Bo Highburger was
named the Great North-
west Athletic Conference’s
Defensive Player of the
Week for football.
Highburger recorded 15
tackles against Azusa Pacif-
ic on Saturday.
The game was the
fourth time Highburger
registered 10 or more tack-
les this season.
The Wolves host Simon
Fraser Saturday at 1 p.m.
Cross Creek
men’s club results
WESTERN OREGON ATHLETICS/for the Itemizer-Observer
Western Oregon University senior David Ribich (590) took first at the NCAA Division II West Region race on Saturday.
COLLEGE CROSS-COUNTRY
Wolves advance to nationals
Ribich wins individual title, men’s team places third
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
MONMOUTH — From
the moment the season
began, Western Oregon Uni-
versity’s men’s cross-country
team had this race circled.
The Wolves knew a top
three-finish in the team
standings at the NCAA Divi-
sion II West Region race on
Saturday meant a trip to the
national championships.
Led by an individual title
from senior David Ribich,
Western Oregon edged out
Simon Fraser in a tie breaker
to take third.
“Oh man, it was surreal,”
Ribich said. “Everything
Women’s cross-country
• Western Oregon University’s women’s cross-country team
placed 17th at the NCAA Division II West Region race on Satur-
day. Senior Kennedy Rufener earned all-West honors after a
12th place finish. Rufener finished the 6,000-meter course in 21
minutes, 32.8 seconds. Rufener earned an individual invitation
to the NCAA Div. II National Championships on Nov. 18.
• Suzanne Van De Grift (89th, 23:01.8), Cassie McKinney
(123rd, 23:38.8), Olivia Woods (143rd, 24:06.11) and Isabelle Tin-
gelstad (156th, 24:22.5) rounded out the Wolves’ scoring run-
ners.
paid off. The last couple of
years, we’ve had individual
success. This shows we’re
more than a one-person
wonder. We’re all reaching
that level and getting the job
done.”
Clinching their spot
turned out to be more diffi-
cult than any of them could
have imagined.
—
Ribich had one goal in
mind prior to Saturday’s
10,000-meter race: Stay pa-
tient.
Mountaineers headed to quarterfinals
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
Bowling league
results
Dallas Glow Run
sees increased
fundraising
DALLAS — The Dallas
Glow Run raised $8,500 for
the Dallas Christmas Cheer
Fund.
That total is about $500
more than 2016.
The Dallas Christmas
Cheer fund provides assis-
tance to families in need in
the Dallas area.
The Glow Run attracted
hundreds of runners and
walkers that embarked on a
3.1-mile course.
The event also featured a
costume contest, food and
entertainment.
www.polkio.com
Ribich said. “Dustin was a
big motivator to stay patient
and keep me on track. We
trust each other enough to
be able to tell each other
what we need to hear.”
Finally, with about 800-
meters left in the race,
Ribich started his kick,
pulling away for first place
in 29 minutes, 49.2 sec-
onds.
“It was exactly how I pic-
tured it would pan out,” he
said. “It was kind of surreal
to me. When I made the
move, it felt effortless in a
sense and there was a sigh
of relief that the plan
worked.”
See WOLVES, Page 13A
PREP FOOTBALL
DALLAS — Cross Creek’s
men’s club results for Oct.
31:
Low gross/low net
Gross: 1 (tie), Ben Talon-
Kayne and Bill Karjala, 37; 3,
Lee Gamaney, 39.
Net: 1, Denny Klassen,
32; 2 (tie), Al Fahlman and
Steve Albin, 34; 4 (tie), Dar-
rel Smedstad and Ed John-
son, 36.
DALLAS — Cherry Pick-
ers win first quarter with 24
- 8 record.
High Scratch Game Men:
Steve Clapper 244.
H igh S cratch G ame
Women: Debbie Cates 180.
High Scratch series Men:
Steve Clapper 622.
High Scratch Series
Women: Doris Stefani 500.
High Handicap Game
Men: Cecil Maginn 255.
High Handicap Game
Women: Jeanne Buhler 263.
High Handicap Series
Men: Dennis Woitte 680.
High Handicap Series
Women: Judy Reid 696.
“I knew
I’d have to
finish fast
in order to
succeed,”
he said. “A
lot of times
I make a
move earli-
Nading
er and put
a gap between me and some
of the other runners. I need-
ed to run a tactical race (on
Saturday).”
Midway through the race,
Ribich had the itch to be
more aggressive, but team-
mate Dustin Nading kept
him on task.
“I wanted to make a move
at the 4,000-meter mark,”
RACHEL BEST/Itemizer-Observer
Falls City’s football team defeated Echo 58-20 on Friday night.
FALLS CITY — The Moun-
taineers aren’t done climb-
ing yet.
Sixth-seeded Falls City
football team defeated No.
11 Echo 58-20 on Friday in
the first round of the 1A state
playoffs to advance to the
quarterfinals against No. 3
Camas Valley Saturday at 1
p.m. at Roseburg High
School.
“These eight guys have
been playing together for
six games now and are
starting to gel pretty well,”
coach Laric Cook said. “The
offensive line has been
doing a great job for us,
and our backs have hit the
PREP CROSS-COUNTRY
Dragons place eighth at state
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
EUGENE — For the first
time in more than three
decades, Dallas’ boys cross-
country team approached
the starting line at the OSAA
5A state cross-countr y
championships on Saturday
at Lane Community Col-
lege.
It didn’t take long to real-
ize that state was a different
level of competition than
anything they had experi-
enced before.
“It was pretty intense,”
junior Trevor Cross said. “It
was exciting. There are a lot
of fast people there. Most
races, I go out the same pace
and I’m by myself, more or
less. Maybe there’s one or
two other guys. At state, I go
out and there are 10 guys
ahead of me. There’s a lot of
pressure.”
Cro s s
placed 27th
overall, fin-
ishing the
5 , 0 0 0 -
m e t e r
course in
16 minutes,
Bibler
35 seconds,
helping the Dragons take
eighth in the team stand-
ings.
Freshman Toby Ruston
finished 40th in 16:55, fol-
lowed by sophomore Gavin
Grass (54th, 17:23); senior
Ryan Bibler (64th, 17:45);
freshman Dillon Stuhr
(72nd, 17:57); junior Orion
Knudson (83rd, 18:14) and
sophomore Antonio Barri-
entos (85th, 18:23).
It was the first time a team
from Dallas qualified for
state since the 1980s.
See DRAGONS, Page 14A
hole pretty hard and fast.
Then, we run play action
because all you’re thinking
is we’re running. The kids
understand what we want,
and they are playing at a
high level.”
A 13-yard run by Jeremy
Labrado gave the Moun-
taineers an early 8-0 lead.
Echo answered with an 84-
yard touchdown pass to pull
within 8-6 before Falls City
broke the game open.
The Mountaineers added
36 points before halftime to
take a 42-12 lead into the
break and extended their
lead to 58-12 before Echo
scored its final touchdown
with one minute left in the
game.
See MOUNTAINEERS, Page 13A
PREP BOYS
SOCCER
Central
upset in
first round
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
ALICE BIBLER/for the Itemizer-Observer
Trevor Cross placed 27th overall at state on Saturday.
www.facebook.com/pages/Polk-County-Itemizer-Observer/205062686252209
INDEPENDENCE — It
wasn’t the ending anyone on
Central’s boys soccer team
was expect-
ing.
No. 13
M a r i s t
Catholic
upset the
fourth-
s e e d e d
Panthers 1-
0 in the
Padilla
first round
of the 5A state playoffs on
Nov. 1.
See CENTRAL, Page 13A
www.twitter.com/PolkIOSports